Five Books We Are Reading During Quarantine

I suppose the bright side of quarantining is tackling that ambitious reading list we made for ourselves, right? 

Where are you getting books from these days since the libraries closed? My friend and I have been doing book swaps to keep the kids with a fresh rotation. Another friend of mine with older kids dropped off a huge crate of children's books for us that she was clearing out. I bought a few titles online that I'd been eying. And, we've also been consistently raiding the Free Little Libraries in our neighborhoods (including our own).

My son is also really into the Green Ember series on Hoopla. He's almost done with the fourth book in a matter of two weeks since it's an audiobook collection (hallelujah for audio books!) 

Here are a few favorites I added to our children’s library collection during this season:

1). Knee Knock Rise by Natalie Babbit- This wasn't even on my reading list but I'm so glad we found it. This is the first mystery Ezra and I ever read together and I found it to be the perfect introduction to the genre. I couldn’t wait to read it to him at night & felt it really made him think outside the box about humanity.

2). A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories (retold for kids)- Where has this book been all of my life? No, really. It impeccably summarizes twelve Shakespeare plays, each with beautiful illustrations. I love the cast of characters included before each story— it really helps when we get lost or need a refresher.

My son eats it up, especially the little tidbits of the original language. We’ve read many kids' versions of Shakespeare, including Bruce Colville’s, but I enjoy this more modern version and the fresh, vibrant illustrations. 

3). The Witches by Roald Dahl–– I hesitated on this one because it looked cynical to me. And admittedly, if you’re the gentler kind you may not be able to stomach the plot (witches out to turn all of the English children into mice), but my son thinks it’s hilarious. And I do find myself excited to read it to him every night.

I read a Roal Dahl biography a few years ago and it’s fun to see he included a version of his own grandmama and her Norwegian stories in this novel.

4). Stories of Early America by Through Golden Windows Publishing— This sweet vintage book was gifted to us. We are reading an excerpt each day, and I really enjoy how much we are learning about the kinship and resourcefulness of the Native Americans. 

We even had to do further research on certain topics because my son’s interest was piqued. We learned what every part of a buffalo was intended for in Native American culture and that the heart was the only part not utilized. Instead, it was cut out and left on the ground as respect for the animal. I love that.

Since it's a vintage book, I found it can be purchased here. 

5). The River Road: A Story of Abraham Lincoln by Meridel Le Sueur— Admittedly, my son ended up being too young to hang with this one. It’s a better Middle-Grade novel. But I’m now obsessed with the author and her incredible gift for prose. I learned so much about Abe and his home life as a child in just a few short chapters we read. I kept rereading sentences just to enjoy them again because Le Sueur is a gifted author. And always. Abe inspires me. 

I look forward to returning to this book when my son is a little older.

 For myself, I grabbed The Women and Wild Child (both by T.C. Boyle) from our Free Little Library for some juicy reading. My neighbor gave me Women of the Silk to read and I also picked up Life of Pi and figured it was high time I read it. 

What about you? What are you reading these days?